FAQs by Organic System Plan

Yes, our clients can transfer parcels, in the certification program, between CCOF certified operations without having to reapply. Simply complete the parcel transfer form and return it to us for each parcel transferred. You will be billed for the service at the time of submission. Parcel transfers must be submitted within one month of change in management and there must be continuous organic... Read more

Yes, you can use off-site storage facilities to store and distribute your products without having that location inspected or certified. Off-site storage facilities and distribution centers are not required to be certified as long as the products are packaged or otherwise enclosed in a container prior to being received or acquired. The product must remain in the same package and may not be... Read more

Yes! We understand that you may be pressed for time or require certification by a certain deadline. In these cases, we are pleased to pull out all the stops and provide expedited services that meet your deadline. Please consider our Expedited Certification Program application if you are short on time. In many cases we have reduced the timeline by several weeks and ensured the client's success... Read more

Before making any changes to your operation, you must update your OSP. Visit our Forms and Documents page to find the forms that you need to update. Submit your fully completed forms to ccof@ccof.org. Please do not submit partially completed forms! Certification staff will review your updates and let you know if additional information is required. Please allow as much time as possible for... Read more

Yes, send all new or revised labels to CCOF for review and approval even if you think the change does not affect your organic certification. Having your label reviewed by CCOF protects you from making costly mistakes. All labels must be included in your Organic System Plan, including a label redesign for an existing product, a new size of packaging for an existing product, labels for new... Read more

The certification application is called an Organic System Plan (OSP). A complete OSP is required by the National Organic Program (NOP). The OSP is a detailed description of the practices and procedures used by your operation to produce organic goods. Clients update their OSP as changes occur.

CCOF has developed a straightforward, comprehensive OSP as part of our organic certification... Read more

This list details the most common situations that require you to send information or documentation to CCOF, and what type of information you'll need to send. Read through this list and contact your Certification Service Specialist with additional questions.
I want to change something in my Organic System Plan (OSP), what should I send?
Update your OSP forms and send them to CCOF for review and... Read more

Before the Inspection:
Organic System Plan (OSP): This is the central document of organic certification. The OSP must be completed before the inspection. The inspector will compare your OSP with their observations, interview, and audit of records. An excellent OSP includes all applicable sections and thoroughly answered questions, with all required attachments (labels, parcel maps, land history... Read more

Any time you are considering a change to your organic production, you must update your Organic System Plan before making any changes and submit the update to ccof@ccof.org for review. Updating your OSP before making changes helps your operation avoid a Notice of Noncompliance and possible suspension of your certification. This includes changes to the following:

Organic inspections confirm that your operation meets the NOP standards and regulations both before you are certified and every year after for as long as you remain certified. Inspectors do this by confirming that what you say in your application, called an Organic System Plan (OSP), is what you are doing in practice. A CCOF-qualified inspector will conduct the inspection in an efficient... Read more